About Me
Ryan's musical beginnings were not unlike many other suburban fourth graders. When the opportunity arrived, he started trumpet lessons and enrolled in his school's concert band. Roughly around the same time, Ryan also received a nylon string guitar as a birthday present from his uncle. By age 12, Ryan had learned a considerable amount of guitar basics from his Mel Bay books and also earnestly continued studies with trumpet. Inevitably, Ryan got an electric guitar and started lessons with local guitar hero Andy Rossi (currently one of the top execs at Fender Guitars)...the story goes on.
Throughout high school, Ryan spent his time building guitars, writing music, rehearsing and gigging with local bands, as well as working at a local music store. In 1987, Ryan began studies in classical guitar with Jamey Andreas, which proved invaluable to his development both as a guitar player and as a musician. Around that same time, Ryan also became a member of the Bergen Youth Orchestra.
At age 18, Ryan enrolled in the music program at Purchase College in Westchester County, New York and there he honed his skills not only as a guitar player, but as a composer. After obtaining his Bachelor's degree in Music, Ryan worked briefly for EMI-Capitol Music Group while moonlighting as a performing musician. After only six months in the corporate sector, Ryan left EMI and began a full-time freelance music career, including composing, teaching and audio production as well as performing with various bands and ensembles.
Although the guitar has always been Ryan's first love, he began to diversify his musicality with interests in bass guitar, keyboards, mandolin, dobro and lap steel.
In 1994, Ryan was the guitarist for Centerfield Productions' "Comfortably Numb", a stageplay version of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" and in 1995 played guitar for Centerfield's production of "Jesus Christ Superstar".
Since 1997, Ryan has toured internationally as the bass player for The Machine, the New York-based band known for their faithful and interpretive renditions of classic Pink Floyd songs as well as psychedelic improvisational jams.
Ryan has played bass for the late Vince Welnick of The Tubes and The Grateful Dead and has shared the stage with guitarist Marc Ford formerly of The Black Crowes. He has performed numerous times with drummer Matt Abts of Gov't Mule and keyboardist Johhny Neel, known for his work with The Allman Brothers Band. Ryan has also played along side of Matt Johnson, drummer on Jeff Buckley's masterpiece "Grace", as well as T. Lavitz of the Dixie Dregs. He has played with former Phil Lesh & Friends guitarist Jeff Pevar and sax great Norbert Stachel formerly of Tower of Power and the Roger Waters "In The Flesh" touring band. Ryan is also a rotating member of Eyeball Records recording artists Sleep Station and has led his own bands including the prog-rockers Mirror. On numerous occasions, Ryan has been a guest performer with the Bergen Youth Orchestra and has had the honor of performing with them at New York's Carnegie Hall as a soloist on both guitar and mandolin.
Ryan is currently keeping busy performing, writing and working as a producer and engineer for his own recording studio, The Gearbox. Most recently, he has been composing soundtrack music for commercials and independent film and continues to teach private lessons throughout the year.
